1.31.2016

Soup season is not over! Many of you still have a few months left of it but for us down in the South our days of chilly, soup weather are closing in fast. Don't let soup season pass without making these delicious soups! :)

We were taught this recipe in Thailand at the Siem Riep Cooking School. It's ridiculously good & actually super easy once you have the ingredients stocked. Serve it along side rice & enjoy this spicy deliciousness.

This Chicken Avocado Lime Soup from Jaclyn over at Cooking Classy looks delicious. A soup for any season! I'm not going to lie. I'm a sucker for anything that pairs well with tortilla chips, cheese & avocado. Really just mention avocado & I'm sold.

We've been suckers for Wonton Soup lately. It's so light & easy on the stomach. This wonton soup by Chungah at Damn Delicious has some labor involved but creating those fragile dumplings are sure to make you feel good.

This Asian Noodle Soup by Andi at The Weary Chef only takes less than 30 minutes to prepare, start to finish, & as Andi mentions it's great for sore throats.

Another soon to be winter favorite from Damn Delicious, is this Roasted Butternut Squash & Bacon Soup. Chungah says the secret to this soup is roasting the bacon & squash together before you blend them up. I already know Zachary would love this one because, well, obviously, BACON!

This Roasted Tomato Basil Soup is another delicious recipe from Jaclyn at Cooking Classy. I think where she really got me hooked with this soup is the grilled cheese croutons.

I've been dying to make French Onion Soup lately & this picture of Michele's french onion soup has me swooning. I must make this immediately. Immediately.

Do you have any soup recipes that you're dying to make? Any family favorites? Share in the comments below!

1.25.2016

With the Bachelor Season 20, several episodes in, I've done a lot of thinking. I know we've all thought about it. What would it be like to actually be on The Bachelor? What if my husband was on the Bachelor 8 years ago & it was the first time we met, and we fell in love on T.V.? One thing is for sure, that limo arrival is super important! I mean, it is the first glimpse he gets of you & that glimpse better be good! AmIright?! ;) How's he going to remember you among the sea of his other 24 girlfriends? People have gotten creative in the past, so it may be hard to think up something clever. No need to fret, should you find yourself on the Bachelor Season 21 next year, I got ya covered. Here's 20 Bachelor Limo Arrivals that are sure to make your season's Bachelor swoon & insure you grow your Instagram following to 100k+, get free stuff & become a D-List celebrity when the show's all over.

1. Walk out with your dog, hamster, tarantula, cat. Really any form of household pet. Then say how much you love your pet of choice & if he really wants to know you, he has to get to know your pet, too. You always know what kind of husband a man will be by how he treats your chicken.

2. Get out of the limo with a group of your closet friends while carrying a boom box on your shoulder singing Spice Girls', "If you wanna be my lover, Gotta Get With My Friends." Then have them ask to join the show, too. There's already 25 girls. Why not 5 more?

4. Walk past him while staring him down & run into the mansion, then say, "I
was so enchanted by your beauty that I ran into that wall over there.
So I am going to need your name and number for insurance purposes." That'll get a good laugh & he'll know that you're a fun, kindda gal.

7. Wear a mermaid tail & do the worm from the limo to his feet. And say, "There's tons of fish in the sea but I'm the only mermaid for you." It doesn't even matter if it doesn't make sense. He'll be super impressed by the worm.

8. Dress like a monkey. Or tiger. Or lamb. Just dress like some kind of animal. But not a cupcake because that was so 2015.

9. Give him a box of Lucky Charms & say it's because he looks "magically delicious." Again, making sense is not that important.

10. Intentionally trip over his foot as you walk to the mansion, then turn around & say, "I'm falling over you!" Nothing's more attractive than staged tripping. Also, if you twist your ankle, no worries! You'll get an on camera trip to the emergency room & he'll visit you later. It's instant alone time, a much needed commodity in the Bachelor mansion.

11. Tell him you want to read his palm & write on it in red permanent marker. Then say, "There, your palm is red." What a laugh! He'll love it. Bonus, write your name with the marker. He'll never forget it.

12. Are you a gymnast? Do some flips on top of the limo in your heels. Just climb on up there & show him what you're made of. If you fall, again, emergency room. See benefits above.

13. Tattoo his face on your back, then wear a plunging back line dress to show it off. It's a great message to send the other girls in the house, too. The man's face is yours, fo-evah.

14. Give him some Icy Hot & say, "These are for your legs. They must be sore from running through my dreams all night." Make sure to say it more cutesy then seductively or he'll get the wrong idea about what kind of dreams you were having.

15. Give him a print out of ring styles that you like. Check out the Neil Lane website to get some ideas. It's important he knows from the beginning that you're in this for the right reasons.

16. Make a scrapbook with your heads & future children's heads photo shopped on varies vacation photos, circa How To Loose A Guy in 10 Days. This website's really helpful for accomplishing this.

17. Give him a folder of all the research you've done on him. Include pictures of the front of his house & Kleenex from his trash can. This will really show him how you're here for him only.

18. Handcuff yourself to him & refuse to leave for the rest of the limo exits. He'll really appreciate you being so close by. Who wants to do all those awkward intros alone?

19. Dress like a clown & juggle. Who forgets clowns? No one. They're in
your dreams for years to come. Any Bachelor would surely swoon.

20. Choose to forego the limo ride & instead roll up in a hearse. Say some line about how you'll love him 'till death do us part.' He'll love that.

With these introductions, you're sure to win his heart! If you were every apprehensive about trying out for The Bachelor in the past because of that dreaded intro/awkward 20 foot walk from a limo, across uneven stone pavement, in heels, towards a guy you've never met, on TV, don't be! Girl, I got you! Feel free to use any of the above ideas.

1.05.2016

We are obsessed with Murder Mystery Parties! 2 years ago we hosted our first on, a Harry Potter Murder Mystery Party, that was so much fun & got us hooked! Last year, we had out second party, an Alice in Wonderland Murder Mystery Party, which turned out to be even better than our first one. To carry on our tradition, we hosted another one this year & were so excited to be able to do it in the States & have some of our friends & family there. The best part was that our good friends Trent & Angie, who went to both of our previous parties in China, moved back to San Antonio this past summer & were able to come to this one, too! So, it's tradition, now! Trent & Angie must be at our Murder Mystery Party for years to come!

(Also, I apologize in advance for the photo overload! Also, for the lack of quality photos on some of these. I just have to post them anyway! I don't want to forget the details. :) )

For this year's theme, I chose A Vampire Murder Mystery, from the same Etsy shop I got our Alice in Wonderland theme from, Murder Mystery Dinner Party Games. Gary does such a great job putting together these scripts! They are so detailed & include recipes, soundtracks & printable. I have nothing but good things to say about this shop & game creator.

As with any theme party, the decorations are what make it extra fun & special, so I made sure to do it up! We moved our coffee table & filled our little apartment with tables, chairs & decorations. And lots & lots of spider webs! Spider webs make Halloween decor IMO!

Even Chara got in on the party! She was a giant-pppreeecious spider. :)

For decorations, I made sure to start gathering decor a few months in advance. This gave me plenty of time to find good deals & fun, unexpected pieces.

I also made sure to provide some delicious treats & dinner for everyone.